Aquatic invasive species FOUND in the Pelican River Watershed District include: Curly-leaf pondweed Flowering Rush Purple Loosestrife Aquatic Invasive SPECIES OF CONCERN (not yet known to exist in the PRWD) include: Zebra mussel Eurasion Watermilfoil Spiny Water Flea Bighead Carp Hydrilla Rusty Crayfish For more information:   Department of Natural Resources Luke Skinner Invasive Species Program Supervisor 651-259-5140 luke.skinner@dnr.state.mn.us   Pelican River Watershed District Tera Guetter Administrator 218-846-0436 tera.guetter@prwd.org   Becker County COLA Terry Kalil Vice President 218-341-0452 tkalil@arvig.net                                   PO Box 1043 Detroit Lakes, MN 56502 www.prwd.org

WHAT ARE ZEBRA MUSSELS? Zebra mussels are a finger-nail sized non-native species that attach to any solid surface in water -- boats, wet suits, decoys, personal watercratfs, tubes, docks, water intake pipes.  Adults are 1/4 to 1-1/2 inches long and have razor-sharp D-shaped shells with alternating yellow and brownish colored stripes.  Some of the lakes they are found in include, but are not limited to; Pelican Lake, Rose Lake, Lake Lizzie, Prairie Lake, Gull Lake, Mille Lacs, Lake Minnetonka and Prior Lake.  Populations of these animals increase rapidly, and once established, they can not be eliminated.  Zebra mussels forever change Minnesota's lakes and our way of life by ruining fishing, littering beaches with sharp shells, and destroy local economies by driving down property values and forcing tourists to go elsewhere in sear of summer fun at the lakes. Currently there are no enviormentally safe control methods to kill zebras mussels once they become established in a water body.  A single female can reproduce up to one million microscopic juveniles (called verligers) in a single season.  Minnesota's long cold winters do not eradicate them.  For a full list of infested waters (not just zebra mussels) see the following link. http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/invasives/infested_waters.pdf PREVENT THE SPREAD We need to work together to stop the spread of zebra mussels to other lakes and rivers.  Zebra mussels attach to boats, nets, docks, swim platforms, boat lifts, and can be moved on any of these objects.  They also can attach to aquatic plants, making it critical to remove all aquatic vegitation before leaving a lake.  Microscopic larvae may be carried in water contained in bait buckets, bilges or any other water moved from an infested lake or river. Remove any visible mud, plants, fish or animals before transporting equipment Eliminate water from equipment before transporting Clean and dry anything that came in contact with water (Boats, trailers, equipment, clothing, dogs, etc.) Never release plants, fish or animals into a body of water unless they came out of that body of water. MINNESOTA ZEBRA MUSSEL LAWS It is illeagal to travel on a public road with zebra mussels attached to a boat or trailer, or to have live zebra mussels in your possession.  It is also illegal to launch or place a watercraft or trailer into uninfested waters of the state with attached visible zebra mussels.  It is also illegal to travel on a public road with aquatic vegetation on your boat or trailer, due in part to the fact that zebra mussels can attach to vegetation.  You are also required to drain any water from your boat (live wells, bilges and bait buckets) when leaving zebra mussel infested waters. WHAT SHOULD LAKESHORE AND BOAT OWNERS DO? Zebra mussels will encrust hard surfaces - boat hulls, mooring buoys, inside mechanisms, water toys, docks and lifts.  There are several precautions boat owners may take. When swimming or wading, wear protective footwear to minimize cutting your feet, as zebra mussels shells are razor-sharp. Remove your irrigation intakes from the water when not in use. If possible, keep your boat and motor out of water (when not in use) tom minimize the encrustation of zebra mussels If it is not possible to store your boat out of water, contact a marina to inquire about protective paints and annual maintenance. Run your boats long enough to reach operating temperatures.  The immature zebra mussels are very sensitive to heat, so a hot engine will kill them as they are flushed through the cooling system.  Drain all water reservoirs after each use. If you take your boat out of an infested lake or river to visit another lake or river, thoroughly clean your boat and trailer inside and out and let it dry for at least five days.  Scrape off any encrustations, wash with high pressure, hot water, drain and dry all water reservoirs. If you sell used docks, structures or water toys, be sure they are decontaminated and cleaned before they leave the area. Join the DNR zebra mussel citizen monitoring program.  Learn more on the DNR website. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/index.html

InForum Article 8/8/2011 -

The nuisance next door: Invading zebra mussels make their way from Minnesota to Red River's banks

Zebra Mussel Samplers

The Pelican River Watershed District has constructed zebra mussel samplers to be placed in area lakes to monitor and detect early on any zebra mussel presence. Currently our District does not have zebra mussels in our lakes. Our goal is to prevent the spread of zebra mussels if they do invade our lakes and rivers. The zebra mussel samplers are located on Detroit Lake, Lake Sallie, Lake Melissa, Long Lake, Pearl Lake, and Floyd Lake.

Invasive mussels:  Damage Lakes & Rivers!

When zebra mussels invade our local waters they filter plankton causing dense stands of vegetation to grow deeper (e.g. milfoil and curly-leaf); Filtering reduces food for small fish.  Feces and dead shells accumulate on the lake bed, on shore this causes odors and cuts and scrapes from sharp shells.  (summarized from MnDNR website)

www.zebramussels.net

Click here: YouTube - The threat of invasive mussels in Utah and the West